Bouncing Leg Syndrome

[mrodgers]

Restless Leg syndrome?

I don't bounce my legs, but restless leg syndrome is the reason I'm on the internet at 2:15 in the morning when I have to get up for work at 5, grrrrrrrr.....

I was at the John Mayer concert Saturday in Columbus. Told the girl I was with it's a good thing I wasn't able to have my pocket knife with me because I would have stuck it right into the knee of the kid sitting beside me.

 

[Christine]

My adult son does it (hasn't broken furniture) and he's always done it. Seems worse now. I always figured it was part of his ADHD. My DH has ADHD to and, while he doesn't bounce around anymore, he did when he was younger.

 

[RangerPooh]

My husband does this, often when he's deep in thought or when bored, more often the deep in thought. He'll bounce his legs without thinking. In the car, sitting at a table or desk. It bugs me but I've learned to tune it out. Never has he ever broken anything though. That seems odd.

It's repetitive motion after many years that wears on the chairs. Like when teenagers lean back/ balance themselves in a chair and it loosens the backs. My brothers did that to my mom's chairs and they all had to be repaired when we were little.

This makes sense. So not necessarily breaking but loosening over time to a point beyond repair.

Does he perhaps have adult ADHD or ADD? My husband has ADHD and I've written it off as that. Not sure if it's the culprit. On another note, one of my sons is the type to literally bounce in his seat during class. His teacher placed a rubber bungee cord like device between his desk legs that acts as a foot rest allowing him to bounce on that. This coupled with a wiggly chair cushion has helped ground him.

 

[WDWAurora]

I have done this my entire life. I’m in my 30s and I can remember my mom sitting beside me at restaurants telling me to stop. She’s been gone 8 years and I can feel her hand on my leg (she would lay her hand on my leg as a prompt to stop) just like it was yesterday! My husband tells me to stop now. I have never had ADHD, and I don’t consider myself all that creative. It’s just something I do. I don’t even notice it at all. I have recently developed restless leg, and that’s completely different, for me at least. With restless leg, it almost feels like something is crawling inside my skin, or rolling around inside my skin. I liken it to the feeling of my sons moving inside my stomach while I was pregnant or the bugs under the seat in It’s Tough to be a Bug at AK. I don’t feel that these two things are connected for me.

 

[NotUrsula]

Regardless of what it's called, some people, including me, find it INTENSELY nerve-wracking to be around. I try very hard to avoid sitting in restaurant booths because of it, because if a leg-shaker sits behind me the whole booth tends to shake. I also can't share an office with anyone who has this habit, because it causes a level of vibration that resembles spending your workday in the throes of a minor earthquake. I try really hard not to let it bother me, but I just can't concentrate when the room shakes.

My dad was a cabinetmaker by trade, and he used to get calls from people with chairs broken by this all the time; it also damages school desks. Most of the clients did not realize what was causing the furniture problems; the OP is unusually perceptive on this point. What happens is that the constant vibration loosens screws and separates the glue that holds furniture joints tight, so the piece will eventually literally fall apart if the joints are not re-tightened. The thing is, putting pressure on failing furniture joints also tends to weaken the wood at those points, so it does permanently compromise the chair to an extent.

 

[AustinTink]

My dad was a cabinetmaker by trade, and he used to get calls from people with chairs broken by this all the time; it also damages school desks. Most of the clients did not realize what was causing the furniture problems; the OP is unusually perceptive on this point. What happens is that the constant vibration loosens crews and separates the glue that holds furniture joints tight, so the piece will eventually literally fall apart if the joints are not re-tightened. The thing is, putting pressure on failing furniture joints also tends to weaken the wood at those points, so it does permanently compromise the chair to an extent.

Thank you for this. Everyone thought I was being overly dramatic about the chairs. You know, furniture is pricey and these are a good set. I'd like to keep them for another 10 years. I have tightened all the screws and that helped a bit. I will take them to our furniture repair guy at some point for the rest of the process. It it just just as you described literally falling apart, not broken pieces, but falling apart.

 

[nicolita3]

Restless legs can be a sign of anemia. At least that is what my hematologist told me.

 

[Katie Dawn]

I'm sorry, that does sound awful. My husband has leg spasms in his sleep as well.

That sounds like Restless Leg to me. Would he be willing to see a doctor? I can imagine even if you stay asleep you don't get good rest!

 

[Micca]

. My husband won't stop bouncing his legs when he's sitting and he's breaking all my kitchen chairs in the process.

Many have suggested seeing a doctor, I think he needs an agent. People would pay to see that!

 

[TheConsciousness]

My mother and I have always had this. As someone who has random RLS symptoms at night, it definitely isn't the severe urge to twitch/move that RLS brings. I would agree with the poster that it is "stimming". I am a very creative person whose mind is ALWAYS moving a thousand miles a minute, and bouncing my legs like a crazy person keeps me "grounded", like I'm more than just whats inside my head. It makes total sense that it would burn some calories too, so I guess there is an upside. I'd probably be amazing at using a double bass pedal for a drum set.

 

[tzolkin]

I know the most common response has been restless leg syndrome, but this does not sound like that to me at all.

I would definitely say "stimming." It's a habit he has developed over time for whatever reason (anxiety, boredom, or something like ADHD or aspergers). OP specifically mentioned that he does this constantly while he's working and for some people it's a way to help them concentrate. (Although it may drive everyone around them nuts and completely prevent them from being able to concentrate )

The movement associated with restless leg is the result of being extremely uncomfortable/in pain and it happens more at night. If that were the case with the OP's husband, I would think he would definitely be complaining or at least acknowledging that there's an issue with his legs when they have discussed the bouncing. If it were restless leg that was causing him to bounce his legs for hours at a time all morning long, he would be completely distracted by the sensation and would need to keep getting up, moving around, whatever to try to alleviate it. He wouldn't be "in the zone" super focused/creative and oblivious of the fact that he was bouncing his legs.

 

[chiefmickeymouse]

I'm another leg bouncer, fidgeter. I don't think mine has to do with restless leg syndrome. I believe it's a form a stimming. It drives some people crazy when I do it, but I'm often not aware I'm doing it unless someone points it out.

 

[ImDMous]

I have RLS and this doesn't sound like that at all, at least not what I experience. I'm sure people have different symptoms or may have RLS and other ticks/habits/whatever so it's hard to sort them out.
Mine is always at night, gets worse if I have dessert or alcohol and just makes me move around and squirm. No repetitive fast motion.
RLS definitely breaks your concentration on anything else and you know it's happening. Not something I do without noticing.